The Federal Government has pledged to eliminate malaria, citing a $1.1 billion annual economic loss due to the health crisis. Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, made this announcement during the inaugural meeting of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN) in Abuja.
Prof. Pate described malaria as a critical health, economic, and developmental challenge. He emphasised that malaria not only reduces productivity and increases healthcare expenses but also exacerbates poverty.
Highlighting the urgency of eliminating the disease, Prof. Pate referred to the National Malaria Strategic Plan (2021–2025), which targets a reduction in malaria prevalence to below 10% and a halving of malaria-related mortality. He called for the involvement of traditional and religious leaders to drive grassroots advocacy for the use of insecticide-treated nets, chemoprevention, and vaccines.
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On his part, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, reiterated the importance of AMEN, describing it as a panel of experts tasked with providing evidence-based strategies to reduce malaria and achieve a malaria-free Nigeria.
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